Horsey Word of the Week: Conformation

walking away
Walking away to show hind end conformation. Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

 

Conformation - noun

Definition: The shape or proportionate dimensions especially of an animal.

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When you start to really get into horses, you begin to realize that conformation (not conf-i-rmation, which is completely a different topic) is a subject that is most important to horses and their people.

Let's face it - the horse's entire future is dictated by how its body is put together. Good breeders over the centuries have considered conformation as one of the critical factors in stallion and mare approval. Horse shows everywhere have conformation and movement classes designed to validate and reward young horses that are built to excel in their discipline and stay sound. Take an equine course and you will likely have to learn all about not only the horse parts and names, but also the common conformation faults.

Speaking of which, when it comes down to it, most horses are not built to the ideal standards. One might have a club foot, another might have a long back. One might be sickle-hocked while another is camped out. There are so many possible variations of not-so-perfect that you might initially be a little overwhelmed by it all.

The trick is to know the horse's strengths and weaknesses, and what needs to be done to compensate for or support that area of need. Aye, there's the rub. 

And so we set off on a lifetime of learning - from the science of it (identification and understanding), to the practice of it (riding). We figure out how to solve the specific problems - and believe me, every horse is different - through riding, shoeing, veterinary and medical care, and whatever else is needed to help the horse be happy, safe and exercised over the long term.



Some people say that conformation is not as important as other traits such as temperament, rideability and level of education. I think the key is to first of all, analyze the horse's conformation as it relates to the kind of riding you want to do, and then, take into account everything else. 

It is quite possible to pick a horse based on his training level, for example, knowing full well that you will always have to engage his hind end to compensate for his long back. Or maybe you will do best with a short-coupled horse that can turn on a dime despite the fact that he might be a little higher energy than you were looking for. 

In any case, knowing about conformation is almost as important as knowing how to ride. One informs the other, and the more we know about both, the more we can do well by our equine friends.

How does conformation affect your horse and riding? Tell us in the comments below.

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More Words of the Week:

Ground Work

Horses for Courses

Conditioned Response

Gallop 

 

 

 

Horsey Word(s) of the Week: Ground Work

 

Cyrus ground work
Cyrus learning to go, turn and stop at liberty - between 1-2 years old, long before his first ride.

 

Ground Work

Noun

something that is done at an early stage and that makes later work or progress possible

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Ground work can be art work in itself. 

For most of us, ground work is a path to getting to know our horses better, without riding. There are unlimited types of ground work, starting from simple lunging to work without the rider to the "high school" movements of the classical variety. 

I used significant ground work techniques when my horses were too young to ride. From just getting them used to being handled, to developing communication, to in-hand work to introduce them to the bit, to ground driving, to trailering practice, to "round penning", to walking over tarps and de-spooking - I did it all. Then before their first ride, I used lunging to get the horses moving well without a rider in the first place. We worked on developing gaits, conditioning and voice cues before I ever leaned over my horses' backs for the first time.

But that's not all I use ground work for. I've had people ask me to ride their horses for them even though they hadn't ridden in months . Though I knew the horse had been ridden in the past, I used ground work to "meet" the horse and see what he knew and how he was going to respond.

I love ground work for the excited or nervous horse. I am always cognizant of my surroundings and try to maintain a high level of safety for both myself and the horse. So if there is a horse that seems out of sorts, I go right back to ground work to settle him while allowing him to move 

And finally, I have used ground work to develop myself as a rider. You can do so many things on your own two feet that replicate what you need to do on horseback, but you still have balance standing on the ground. In particular. I've explored and developed my hands and quality and feel of contact while working with the horse on the ground. 

Ground work is not only for beginner horses or riders. In fact, many of the "masters" use increasingly intricate ground work exercises to develop their horses mentally and physically throughout their education. Learning the higher level movements takes time and experience and the guidance of a good instructor. Just as with anything else, becoming effective at ground work takes dedication and repetition.

What have you used ground work for? How does it complement your riding life? Comment below.

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New! Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success

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3d Book 2

 

More Words of the Week:

Horses for Courses

Conditioned Response

Gallop 

 

Horsey Word(s) of the Week

Kayla 1
Kayla at 8 years old

Horses for Courses

Idiom

UK

  1. › used for saying that it is important to choose suitable people for particular activities because everyone has different skills

_____

There is truth to the phrase, "There are horses for courses." Although in the real world, they use this expression to indicate that a job is suitable for one type of person or another, you can take it literally when referring to horses.

Pick a breed and you'll probably be able to identify the characteristics that it was designed for. Most of our present-day horses trace back to a particular purpose - whether for work, for flashiness or for speed. Some horses are high-stepping, others are great pullers, and others are designed to move over ground with a low center of gravity. I imagine that as time passes and we continue our breeding programs into this era where horses are now generally bred for rideability (recreation), there will be more commonalities between breeds than there were in the past.

My horse, Kayla Queen (now 33 years of age) is a prime example. She was my dream-come-true horse, and as a Standardbred, taught me things that horses from other breeds never could. At 14.2 hh, she could keep up with the walking stride of a 17hh warmblood horse. In fact, she outwalked most horses and therefore was always in the lead during a trail ride. 

Because of her desire to "just go", she taught me to enjoy the thrill of pure movement. Her steadfast personality meant that she rarely slowed down or spooked (she would look at something and just go by) and that allowed me to become a super confident, trusting rider during my most important early riding experiences.

Best of all, she is a free-legged pacer. That means that when other horses would trot or canter, she would pace. She also sported a wonderful high-stepping trot but would switch over to pace after a certain speed. 

So I learned to sit the pace, enjoy the speed, and wave buh-bye to my friends as they switched to canter just to keep up! The "course" that Kayla was made for was definitely the speed course, and so we ended up conditioning for and then competing in long distance trail rides. That was her area of strength and what she enjoyed the most.

Kayla also spent many years taking me through my rider lessons and fun shows, but her way of going was not suited for things like collected canter or flying changes. And so in her years after retiring from competitive trail, we always headed for the trails even after a ring session.

Kayla taught me all about horses for courses. 

How about your horse? How is your horse suited for a particular job? Let us know in the comments below.

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Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening! If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published!  Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list. Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email

New! Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success

Available as an eBook or paperback.

 

3d Book 2More Words of the Week:

Conditioned Response

Gallop